Preview: On the rebound, Chivas head into red-hot Dallas

After visiting three countries for three games in a week, FC Dallas return to Pizza Hut Park to take on Chivas USA on Sunday evening. FC Dallas came away with results from their two league games on the trip, last a 2-2 draw at the New York Red Bulls last weekend. Chivas USA ended their winless run at four games in emphatic fashion, in a 3-0 victory against the Houston Dynamo at home last weekend.

The visitors struck first, in the 22nd minute. Midfielder Andrew Jacobson sent a looping ball to Brek Shea down the center of the park, and he raced away from Chivas USA defender Michael UmaÒa and powered in a low shot to give Dallas the lead.

Chivas USA hit for an equalizer in the 71st minute. A corner kick was partially cleared, but only to Michael Lahoud, who fired a shot from 30 yards out that appeared to take a deflection of FC Dallas defender George John before beating Dallas goalkeeper Kevin Hartman.

But the game-winner in the 85th minute when a throw-in was flicked on and a Chivas defender let it bounce in the area, thinking it would carry through to goalkeeper Dan Kennedy, and instead Jackson snuck in to intercept the ball and tap it home from close range.

FC Dallas continued their road swing with another result, playing to a 2-2 draw with the New York Red Bulls on Saturday evening at Red Bull Arena. FCD has 39 points from 21 games on the season, in second place in the Western Conference.

LAST MATCH

The home side took the lead after 39 minutes. Dane Richards sent in a low pass to the center of the area from the right flank, and Juan Agudelo somehow got his right foot around FC Dallas captain Daniel Hernandez and chipped the cross up and over FCD goalkeeper Kevin Hartman.

But FCD drew even in the 50th minute, after some nifty interchange between Ricardo Villar and halftime substitute Bruno Guarda. Villar sent a through ball to Marvin Ch·vez inside the penalty area, who fired a shot that deflected slightly off Tim Ream and beat goalkeeper Frank Rost.

FC Dallas grabbed the lead in the 78th minute when FC Dallas left back Jair Ben"tez delivered a ball into the area. FCD central defender George John deflected it to the feet of Ch·vez, who perfectly placed his shot by Rost.

But the Red Bulls salvaged a point five minutes from the end when Thierry Henry controlled a Dax McCarty pass 20 yards from goal, froze the defense with a fake and curled a left-footed shot near post past a hopelessly sprawled Hartman.

FC Dallas head coach Schellas Hyndman made one change to the team that defeated Toronto FC 1-0 at BM Field. Zach Loyd came in at right back for the suspended Jackson.

The game was the second of a three-game road trip for FC Dallas, which started with the 1-0 victory against Toronto FC and concludes with the trip to El Salvador in the CONCACAF Champions League.

"I just thought we had a couple of players who were really off in the first half. It seemed like whenever we were at a trigger point to get something going, the ball ended up on the other player's feet. That was the disappointing part," Hyndman said.

FC Dallas has now scored 29 goals on the season, fourth-most in MLS. The Red Bulls and their 37 goals lead MLS.

"I thought we were very poor in the first half. I did not think we played very well in the first half," said FCD coach Schellas Hyndman. "Being down a goal, to come back, I think showed a lot of character and courage on our part. Being up a goal, you are disappointed. Both of us had difficult road trips. It took a lot of character for us to come back from that first half."

For Chavez, it was his first two-goal game since coming to MLS. His only goal this season had come June 4 vs. New England.

"He is one of those guys that is willing to work for us offensively, he is able to win the ball in advantageous spots. He gets to the goal quickly. He makes good runs. He is a small guy, he is willing to compete against much bigger defenders and try to win headers for us," said goalkeeper Kevin Hartman. "We get numbers forward and are pretty quick up there but he is someone that is able to hold the ball for us. At the same time he is able to move us into a spot where we are going to be dangerous," Hartman said. "So he is someone that is willing to do it defensively as well as offensively. He came through with some great scores today."

After going nine league games without an appearance, Bruno Guarda made his third consecutive substitute appearance, his longest of the season after coming at the halftime break.

"Bruno came in and he had a couple great touches, some forward runs and before you know it [Ricardo] Villar, Chavez and Bruno were all in the box and came away with a couple of scoring chances," Hyndman said.

On Thursday, FC Dallas came away with a vital away win, defeating Alianza FC 1-0 in El Salvador in the first leg of their preliminary round series in the CONCACAF Champions League. The game's lone goal came from Jackson, sprung for a breakaway by Ricardo Villar in the 70th minute.

Chivas USA snapped their winless streak at four games, racing to a 3-0 victory against the Houston Dynamo on Saturday evening at The Home Depot Center. Chivas USA have 26 points from 21 games on the season, in fifth place in the Western Conference.

LAST MATCH

Chivas USA -- and Braun -- scored twice within nine minutes just before halftime. In the 31st minute, Ante Jazic sprinted up field and sent in a well-placed cross to Braun, who slipped in a slim touch for the goal.

Then in the 40th minute, Blair Gavin played in a deflected pass to the Chivas USA striker, who broke in alone on goal and sent in a looping shot over Dynamo goalkeeper Tally Hall.

The Dynamo went a man down in the 70th minute of play when Jamaican midfielder Je-Vaughn Watson brought down LaBrocca, earning him his second yellow card and an expulsion. Chivas USA put a capper on the night in the 86th minute when Jazic led a Chivas counter, sending in another cross to Braun, who finished for his third goal of the night.

Chivas USA head coach Robin Fraser made two changes to the team that played to a scoreless draw at The Home Depot Center. Ante Jazic and Blair Gavin came into the team for Ben Zemanski and Victor Estupinan.

Chivas USA head coach Robin Fraser set out his team with a five-man midfield, Justin Braun playing as the lone out-and-out striker with Blair Gavin and Nick LaBrocca behind and Simon Elliott in a holding role.

"We're a little bit more mature and a little further ahead than we were at the beginning of the season," said Fraser. "We felt very strongly that this group of midfielders would be able to take some possession and turn it into dangerous opportunities. Certainly nice when you get it right."

Justin Braun scored his second hat trick of the season, also hitting for a triple on May 15, when he also scored all three Chivas USA goals in a 3-2 win against New York.

"I went through a dry spell there, but it's definitely good to get that weight off my shoulders," Braun said. "But the most important thing is that the team came out and played well collectively and we were able to get three points, which we needed."

Three players in MLS history have hit for three hat tricks in a season—Stern John (1998), Cobi Jones (1998), Diego Serna (2000). Eleven players have hit for two triples in a season, the latest Chris Wondolowski last season.

"We've been talking a lot about his positioning and as we've said all along, this is a process," said Fraser. "Things are going to click at certain times for different players and I thought tonight, he did a really good job of being in good spots."

Braun's seven goals are two shy of his single-season career best set a year ago. "[The work] paid off," said Braun. "Hopefully I can keep using it and keep scoring some goals. I did a little work this week and it's something I've been trying to work on with the coaches, but when you get good balls like that, I'm just on the end of it and it makes the finishing much easier."

In his first game back in the lineup after missing four matches with a calf strain, Ante Jazic recorded a pair of assists.

Chivas USA matched their season-long with five games unbeaten (2-0-3), winning three and drawing two from April 2-30.

"More than anything right now, it means we're within striking range," Fraser said. "Certainly, we want to make sure we're always in striking range as we make improvements or continue to make improvements, we want to make sure that we're not making improvements while sacrificing potential postseason play."